A multi-million pound cycle bridge connecting Boots' Beeston headquarters with University Boulevard could be a catalyst for greater investment in the city, according to business leaders.

The bridge, named after ibuprofen inventor Dr Stewart Adams, arches over the Midland Mainline and gives cyclists and pedestrians a direct route between the two areas, while also improving access to the tram network.

It is hoped the addition will encourage more businesses to base themselves in the area.

Tom Goshawk, capital projects manager at the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership, which funded the £6.1 million bridge, said: "It's all about connectivity between the Enterprise Zone and the city and helping out employees getting to work and offering an alternative.

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"It's a key driver for investment and helps in terms of selling sites. It's not just a bridge - we really hope it is a driver for people to come here and invest."

The 50-metre path is accessed through a path just off University Boulevard, near to the Nottingham Tennis Centre. It crosses the mainline and then goes round the Boots site, connecting with Thane Road and the Beeston Canal.

Nottingham City Council led the project and said the bridge will halve the journey from the bus and tram stops around University Boulevard and the Nottingham Science Park.

A view of the new bridge connecting the Boots site and University Boulevard. (Image: Joseph Raynor/ Nottingham Post)

In addition to this, it also improves access to the University of Nottingham, Queen's Medical Centre and existing cycle routes like the Western Cycle Corridor.

On the impact the bridge and growing enterprise zone could have, Councillor Jon Collins, leader of Nottingham City Council, said: "I think one of the important things for economies like Nottingham is to develop and encourage clusters of companies.

"When you have companies that are doing, broadly speaking, the same sorts of things you get staff from different companies, they can spark off each other, sell services to each other and develop things together.

"That is what we have seen with BioCity and that's what I think we will see with developments on the Boots site."

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Discussing how well he thinks the new path will be used, Councillor Collins added: "My guess is it will be a little bit slow to start with because people will have to realise it is here, but I think after that there will be thousands of people a day using it."

Mr Dunne said many of his colleagues had requested better access to the site, particularly for cyclists, but it was decided the project also needed to link in with existing alternative transport, such as the transport network, and into the city.

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Councillor Collins added: "There is funding for that and that is going in. That is about accessibility to the site so we can start to get people in and out more easily than we can at the moment.

"If we can get a better bridge in there over the waterway I think that will make a big difference and I think it will encourage that investment we need."

Enterprise zones are awarded by the Government and are areas where businesses are given incentives, such as minimal rates, to base themselves. Boots was awarded its zone status in 2011.

Since then it has entered a collaboration with BioCity to create a new business incubator focused on health and wellness, called MediCity.

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